THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 721: Shadow Sect vs the High Demons (3)

Contempt and hatred were all that lingered in Frey’s gaze as he looked upon that man.

Nevertheless, a small seed of respect had begun to grow simultaneously.

It was respect for a man who had sacrificed his entire life for his master, battling demons in the darkness alone for countless years.

However, at this very moment, Frey found it impossible to grant him forgiveness.

German was the one responsible for letting the remains of his father, Abraham Starlight, fall into the clutches of Wesker.

The Engineer was the sole person to blame.

Frey wished to scream it at him, but the opportunity never arose.

"You’re the one who did this to my father..."

He had delivered him to the demons, condemning him to strike down the very people he had perished trying to save.

Even though Frey remained silent, German understood everything through the boy's eyes alone.

In response, German merely let out a soft, quiet laugh—a bizarre reaction given the gravity of the situation.

At the same time, the pressure in the air grew stifling as Wesker began to unleash his full power.

"What is your move now, follower of Nameless?! How will you handle this?! What preparations have you made?! What weapons could you possibly have left to use against me?!"

Wesker bellowed, demanding that German show his hand now that he was backed into a corner.

German did not react to the shouting. Instead, he calmly shifted his weight, entering a combat stance.

"There are no more schemes this time, Fourth-Rank Demon... we simply fight until one of us dies, right here. By the time this day concludes, neither you nor the Tenth-Rank Demon will walk away alive. That is the only certainty I can offer."

As German spoke, his form was enveloped in a brilliant celestial blue light.

"Prepare yourself... the war has already started."

The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere of the battlefield transformed. The very air felt heavy with intent. For the first time, the smirk vanished from Wesker’s face.

German’s power was formidable.

"...Impossible. His vessel was supposed to be completely ruined, wasn't it?"

Wesker tried to dismiss the sensation, yet the sheer magnitude of the power flowing from German was undeniably close to his former peak.

"How?" the demon hissed.

He had encountered German and Abraham in the past; back then, the Engineer was so frail he couldn't have survived without Abraham’s protection.

How had the tables turned so drastically?

In that moment, German shut his eyes as a resonant voice surfaced in his mind.

It was a memory from a meeting with a certain entity just a single day before the battle.

Was it a man? No.

It was a monster.

German had been standing in his usual dark cloak, but the terrain beneath his feet was foreign, and even the stars above were different.

"German, my old friend... I find myself wondering if our actions still hold any purpose."

The speaker possessed a voice so profound it caused the world to tremble, echoing like a roll of thunder.

Then, the rhythmic sound of heavy hooves striking the earth approached.

"We have been at war for too long... the passage of time has eroded us."

The thunderous footsteps grew louder until the being finally stood before German.

The Engineer had to slowly lift his head, for that was the only way to look the other in the eye.

The creature looming over him was far from human.

Its lower half moved on four massive legs, while the upper torso resembled a giant of a man with massive arms, scarred armor, and a head encased in an iron helmet. Long crimson hair trailed behind it like a scorched banner. It appeared as a nightmare-born centaur.

A terrifying titan, standing well over ten meters in height.

The beast towered over German, its eyes shining with a sharp, golden light from behind the visor.

German levitated into the air to meet its gaze.

"Our actions carry profound meaning, my friend. They truly do... for we are fulfilling the will of the Master we pledged to serve."

Facing the creature, German’s expression softened into a slight smile. This being was likely the only one who had endured as much suffering as he had for their cause.

"Fulghor... forgive me. I have come to request your strength."

"I already knew. It has always been this way," Fulghor answered, his voice booming naturally due to his immense size.

Fulghor, known as the Planet, was a singular existence.

Unlike the other members of the Shadow Sect, he had never tasted death.

Nameless had never needed to reconstruct him.

He had followed Nameless from the very start, captivated by his presence.

Because of this—unlike everyone else in the Sect—he still possessed his original physical form and his primordial power.

"I shall stand with you in this fight. You had better not fall, German."

Fulghor reached out, his brilliant light washing over German and illuminating the surroundings.

"My thanks... old friend."

German snapped his eyes open in the present.

Wesker stood before him, while Zibar loomed below.

"The stakes are high... and there is much that must be settled and finished."

"But for now, I have only one wish—to give this body a battle worth remembering, just like in the days of old."

German grinned as his aura surged violently, releasing a wave of unnatural cold that gripped the entire area, shaking the very souls of those nearby.

In that instant, he no longer looked like a broken tool worn down by time.

He was the Saint once more—Saint German, the man who had once been the terror of the demon race.

Detecting a genuine threat, Zibar reached out and hoisted Frey toward German.

"Don't get cocky, servant of Nameless! The prize you seek is already in my grasp!"

Zibar snarled, attempting to use Frey as leverage.

"Victory is impossible for you here!!" the Tenth-Rank Demon screamed.

German responded with a dark, mocking smile.

"Who do you think I am? Who do you think you are addressing, Tenth-Rank Demon... and you, Wesker?"

His voice became heavy as he delivered a shocking revelation.

"It is impossible for me to fail, just as it is impossible for me to miss what that pathetic eye of yours sees. Mark my words, Wesker..."

Suddenly, a strange window flickered into existence before Frey’s fading consciousness.

A system alert appeared out of thin air.

The words it displayed caused Frey’s eyes to slowly stretch wide.

Ding!

Synchronization in progress...

96%

97%

98%

99%

As if he could actually see the climbing numbers, German broke into boisterous laughter before finishing his threat:

"Regardless of your efforts, Wesker... I will always be one step ahead of you.

And all things like you can do is pursue my shadow."

Between the Engineer’s booming laughter and Wesker’s deepening scowl, the process finally reached its conclusion.

100%

Synchronization complete.

The alert flashed, and then...

SLAASH!!!

From a completely unexpected direction below.

The sound of a blade tearing through flesh echoed, followed by the heavy spray of blood.

All eyes turned to a single point, filled with a mixture of emotions, though shock reigned supreme.

Without warning, a blade of pure radiance had sliced through Zibar’s arm—the very one clutching Frey.

The demon’s limb was severed without mercy, leaving him paralyzed in shock.

Stunned, Zibar attempted to turn, only to be struck by a thunderous shockwave—a kick with the force of a rocket that sent him tumbling across the crater and slamming into the far wall.

The person responsible was none other than the man who, until now, had been a mindless engine of death.

"Synchronization complete.

User: Abraham Starlight."

Frey’s eyes widened as he gazed at the broad back now shielding him from certain death.

The one who had struck Zibar was Abraham.

His back was still turned toward his injured son.

Abraham still looked like the same cold weapon of war.

And yet, he felt entirely different.

With shaking, tear-streaked eyes, Frey struggled to sit up.

"Father..."

His voice was a faint breath, pleading for the man to turn around.

He needed to see his face.

He needed to know...

Was it still that hollow, empty stare?

Was it still the heartless killer who had attacked him without a second thought?

Frey reached out, but his strength failed him.

Then, after several agonizing moments...

Abraham turned.

It was slow and steady until Frey finally locked eyes with his father.

In that heartbeat, time seemed to stand still.

For Abraham was smiling.

It was a gentle, warm smile that washed away Frey’s agony like a bad dream.

"I don't entirely comprehend what is happening...

nor do I fully understand the situation at hand..."

"But I am truly glad to see you, my son."

Abraham reached out and rested his hand softly on Frey’s head.

Frey’s world was turned upside down.

His father had spoken.

His father knew who he was.

Abraham was likely more bewildered than anyone there.

His final memory was of his death following the fight with Wesker.

But the Star of the Starlight family was quick to adapt—unnervingly so.

He required no explanation to know that the young man standing there was his son.

He recognized him instantly.

He had already spotted Ada as well.

And at this exact moment, despite the gentle words he gave Frey, Abraham Starlight was burning with a quiet fury.

A rage that his demonic foes were about to experience.

Before Frey’s tearful eyes and the stunned demons—especially Wesker, whose face was now a mask of horror—Abraham Starlight had returned.

He was truly back.

Geppetto was the most shaken of all; he had lost all authority over his ultimate puppet.

Abraham’s soul had shattered the demon’s control effortlessly.

It was a devastating blow that only German had foreseen.

"You may have seized the body...

but the soul was always mine."

German spoke, readying himself for the fray.

"Victory is beyond you, Wesker.

For the power of my Master is still with me."

"You piece of filth...!" Wesker screamed, lunging at German.

Meanwhile, as Zibar dragged himself back up, he found Abraham standing in his path.

A legendary battle was about to erupt.

The Shadow Sect had just overturned the board on the High Demons.

Everything had shifted.

Only a lethal struggle remained to decide the winner.

One thing was certain:

The Shadow Sect had arrived to execute the High Demons and remind the world exactly who the followers of Nameless were...

the ones who had spearheaded the Great War in the ancient past.

And so, the clash reached its boiling point.

Legends collided with the intent to consume one another.